


The Four-Year Training Project: Rock Leigh

by Lyn_Laine



Series: The Four-Year Training Project [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Female Rock Lee, Female Uzumaki Naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-17 23:49:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16106327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyn_Laine/pseuds/Lyn_Laine
Summary: In a different world, a female Rock Lee gets some help in her early Academy years.





	1. The Four-Year Training Project

**Author's Note:**

> I was very hesitant to start this series.
> 
> I knew this idea had been done a lot of times before. I knew none of those times had been finished. I was afraid everyone would be sick of this storyline. I was also terrified of posting again after such a long time away.
> 
> But you know what? I decided to post anyway, in the hopes that a few people might want to read. Hopefully I can add something new and refreshing to the other authors.
> 
> All the first chapters in this series are the same, but from there each story completely diverges into individual territory.

Prologue: The Four-Year Training Project

“Hokage-sama. Thank you for meeting with us,” Kurenai demurred, as she and Anko sat down across the vast mahogany, gold-gilded desk from the Third Hokage. Floor length windows echoed looking out over the green-dotted village below, full of white plaster buildings with colorful swirling roofs, directly behind him.

“I am interested in this plan you have for the incoming set of female Ninja Academy students,” the Third admitted, a tiny old man with a silver goatee and a monkey face with robes that swam on him, lighting his wood pipe. “I am of course always willing to listen, when it comes to training the future of this warrior village-state.

“You said you wanted to privately tutor the incoming female Ninja Academy students in the kunoichi arts?”

Kurenai and Anko exchanged a glance.

“Sort of,” Anko admitted. She had purple hair tied up in a hair clip, a long trench coat bulging with weapons, a black fishnet dress, and ninja shoes armored to look like combat boots. “It’s hard to explain _without_ explaining, so let’s just get right to it.”

“While we are Chuunin rank preparing for Jonin rank, we would like to take a tour of the Ninja Academy,” Kurenai began, leaning forward. She had long curls of black hair, red lipstick, and brilliant and intense crimson eyes, a curvaceous body in a black and white wrap dress. “But in a very unique way. 

“We would like to personally select and tutor exactly one incoming female student - sort of in the kunoichi arts. We are tutoring this one student because we would like to prove this new teaching experiment as successful for the entire future run of female Academy students.”

“You want to revamp the system,” the Hokage realized thoughtfully. “So you need a test subject to do it with. And you need my permission as village leader.”

“Our plan involves an entirely new way for a student’s female mentor to relate to her students,” Anko explained. “First, our main focus is in the kunoichi arts. We want to teach her flirtation and conversation through her personality typing, based on Ibiki’s specialized ninja-based personality sorters, and fashion by her appearance types. Complexion, body shape - not weight, but shape - and face shape.

“Then we want to go into the actual arts - the traditional arts, tea ceremony and flower arrangement, but also some more modern non-traditional arts to fit the new age. Poetry, art, and music, mainly.”

“We would also like to individualize the arts,” Kurenai continued warmly. “Instead of teaching every girl the same way, we envision a future in which each female student gets to execute her own unique artistic vision. We feel seduction would be much improved and would feel more ‘authentic’ that way.

“But our plans go further. We would also like to mentor our chosen girl as a ninja and as a person. Help her through her troubles at the Academy so she can become the best version of herself. Be a counseling voice -“

“And help her choose a fighting specialization, and tutor her in that,” Anko finished smirking. “We wouldn’t pass on our own skills unless we feel her talents naturally gravitated toward those. Our sole focus would be on her natural fighting specialization. Our lessons are focused around her as an individual, not around ourselves.”

“It would involve high-end outside tutoring,” the Hokage said curiously. “But you would like for the chosen girl to do this in place of her kunoichi classes?”

“Yes. We want to prove our Konoha village girls are capable of such things,” said Kurenai, firm and fiery.

“We feel our girls aren’t getting trained enough and are getting the raw end of the stick,” Anko drawled bluntly, sitting back. “All male teachers, no special help, and weak and uniform seductive classes? So our plan is to prove our teaching system right as Chuunin, and then test for Jounin.”

“Which would also look good going into your Jounin rank exam,” the Hokage pointed out, smirking. “I see the logic. The sheet for your exam wouldn’t just read Mitarashi Anko or Yuuhi Kurenai. It would read those names, and then: Female Kunoichi Teaching Structure Master. Add that little bit of extra to your resumes.

“Assuming your plan works, I’d be interested in placing the chosen girl on a very certain future Genin team. My original plan for a Genin team under Hatake Kakashi was Uzumaki Naruko, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. But in the case of someone besides Sakura or Naruko being chosen, I could just replace Sakura with the chosen girl, and give Sakura to whatever the chosen girl’s team would have been,” the Hokage admitted, sitting back, his hands steepled. “The girl would have to powerful.

“For one thing, this girl’s team coming into contact with the Kazekage’s youngest son, the fellow jinchuuriki, Gaara, would eventually be somewhat inevitable. What with Naruko being on the team and all, and Suna being our supposed allies. I wonder how the chosen girl would react to meeting a future team like the Kazekage’s children, or would react to a person like Gaara?

“Especially under Kakashi, and with the addition of Sasuke, it would not be an ordinary team.

“If I may - I would like for you to teach this girl extraordinary chakra control. That is the one thing I specify. I want her to have chakra control and intelligence. Do whatever you need to ensure that. I have an idea for such a girl concerning my ex-student Tsunade…

“How do you plan on choosing a girl?” The Hokage looked up at them, hands still steepled, eyes piercing.

“We would like to hide and watch the brand-new class of Academy students for a day, Hokage-sama, and choose then,” Kurenai said.

“Based on personal merit? Interesting… Well, I will let you try this. You are required to send weekly reports to me and we will trial this for the first year out of four training years. 

“If I may recommend six girls to look at in particular? If the assignment had been focused on boys, I would have recommended Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Neji, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Nara Shikamaru, or Akimichi Chouji.

“As it is, I am giving you the six girls from what I have already begun to think of as The Twelve: Rock Leigh, Uzumaki Naruko, Haruno Sakura, Hanakiri Tenten, Yamanaka Ino, or Hyuuga Hinata.

“Those are the ones you should probably focus on, when you view the new first-year Academy class.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” Kurenai said, bowing her head. “Thank you.”

“Strap yourselves in,” said Anko bluntly. “Assuming this little plan of ours works, this is a four-year training project.”


	2. The Ugly Duckling

Chapter One: The Ugly Duckling

Anko and Kurenai hid high up in the branches of a green front courtyard tree, looking down at the eight-year-old children on the Ninja Academy and grounds below.

“Look at the little rugrats. It sure is the era of peace,” Anko noted, for a second melancholy and almost sad. She was sitting with one knee bent up on the high branch, the other leg dangling over the edge, leaning back against the tree trunk.

Kurenai stood beside her on the branch, arms crossed, calm through the leaves. “Focus. Keep the six girls in view,” she said seriously.

“I know,” Anko snapped back irritably. “Don’t nag.”

The children aged eight to twelve were spread out over the Ninja Academy below. The Konoha Ninja Academy was a multi-floored rural wood and red painted building, liberally decorated with the Fire Country symbol. It had a flat roof, and was surrounded by a recess courtyard on one side, fenced off training fields on the other. As in the entirety of Konoha, all of the outside was covered in an endless swathe of green.

The little children laughing, playing, and concentrating that Kurenai and Anko were watching were in the beginning set: They were eight. And in an era of peace, they were allowed to be happy, open, and expressive children.

Images flashed throughout the day. The children taking lecture-style lessons and notes from their desks. The children taking the open front area of their classroom to practice physical skills. The children trooping out to a back training field to spar in pairs. The children taking a lunch and recess break in the front courtyard.

“Look at that girl,” Anko said suddenly partway through the day, sounding thoughtful. “Rock Leigh. The girl with the weird name.”

She was pointing at a girl with a deep black braid of hair, and thick dark eyebrows that made her look intense in a striking face.

“Not conventional,” said Kurenai, raising an eyebrow. “A bit of an ugly duckling.”

“Exactly! Doesn’t the idea of helping her intrigue you? She’s not particularly talented or attractive at anything at first, but watch her in lessons. I’ve had my eye on her for a while, and her fiery spirit is incredible! She’s so determined to be the best in spite of everything working against her.

“Come on, Kurenai. I know you love being a big sister, you’re a sucker for girls like that,” said Anko in mild exasperation.

Kurenai watched Leigh for a while, reserved, as Leigh tried throwing blunted kunai knives at a stationary target out in a back training field. All the knives fell uselessly to the ground, but her face a picture of fierce determination, Leigh just kept trying silently.

“She works hard even though she’s no good,” Kurenai realized, and there was respect in her voice. Anko smirked, victorious.

“Look at Rock Leigh! I bet she won’t even last the first year!” a girl nearby jeered, and the tight-knit group of girlfriends around her laughed. “Hey, freak! Why can’t you hit the target?” she added mockingly, to more laughter.

Leigh turned right around, black braid swinging, her bunched up thick dark eyebrows making her striking face look particularly fierce. “I’m going to get it!” she called firmly. “You just watch!”

She turned back around with another swing of the braid, and went right back to target practice, ignoring the group of girls to her left.

Anko and Kurenai caught each other’s eye - and nodded. They suddenly leaped down on either side of Rock Leigh, and the entire class gasped and stood stock still. Leigh froze, staring up at them with big eyes.

“Iruka-san, I believe we’ve found our girl. May we take her away from the group temporarily?” said Kurenai firmly.

“Of course,” said Umino Iruka, a young man with a brown ponytail and a clan nose marking, smiling warmly and a bit mischievously. He’d been watching Leigh and the girl group too, and he seemed to approve of their choice.

Leigh followed Anko and Kurenai away, frowning and confused. As soon as they’d stopped in the front courtyard below the same tree, she said earnestly, “Does this mean I have to leave? I promise you, ma’ams, I will get better!”

“Relax, Leigh. You are not being thrown out of the Academy. Quite the opposite,” said Kurenai with a warm smile. “We have a proposition for you.”

Leigh paused, cocking her head, puzzled.

“But first: What is your goal, looking from your performance there at the Academy?” said Anko, suddenly and aggressively. “What do you want to do with yourself?”

Leigh responded immediately, firm and determined. “I want to prove myself as a good ninja - one of the best there is! Even if I’m not good at first, I’ll keep trying!”

Anko and Kurenai’s eyes met - and they smiled.

“Yes,” said Kurenai, wryly amused. “I think you’ll do. Leigh, what do you think… of having some special outside training?”

Leigh’s eyes slowly got huge and awed as she listened.


End file.
